Hello friends,
Welcome to today's guided meditation.
Today we will explore the imagery of a forest in Nova Scotia,
Canada.
I invite you to find a cozy position,
Whether that be in a supported seat or lying down.
You may even wish to grab a blanket to wrap yourself in.
Once settled in,
You may wish to take a few deep breaths.
In through your nose,
Nice and gentle,
And slowly out through the lips.
You may draw your attention to your body,
Inviting your shoulders to drop from your ears,
Your jaw to release,
Your face to soften.
You may wish to invite your chest and belly,
Full back and hips to release with ease.
And your chest,
Belly,
Full back and hips releasing.
Inviting this ease of your body to flow through your arms and your legs,
All the way down to your toes and your fingertips.
Feeling your body relaxed and supported.
Remember that this is your practice,
So please feel free to adjust at any time if you need.
Let's begin our guided meditation by imagining that it is a perfect Nova Scotian winter day.
And you are strolling on a footpath in a local and familiar forest.
There is a fresh snow dusting the ground,
And the sun is shining brightly as it peeks through the trees,
Keeping your rosy cheeks nice and warm.
You have dressed just right for this walk and are perfectly comfortable from head to toe.
Underfoot,
The various shades of browns from the aging autumn leaves define your path,
Clearly contrasting against the winter's blanket of snow throughout the rest of the forest.
You can see that the path gently winds,
With only minor twists around trees and patches of brush.
Each step you take lands softly with ease on the earth's floor.
There's no sense of rush,
But rather an intention to be present as each step brings you closer to your favorite place in the forest,
A very special and welcoming small clearing amongst the trees.
This clearing is just a bit ahead,
And it's a place you go to relax,
To take a break,
And to nourish your entire being.
It is also the home of the coziest old wooden bench swing you have ever sat on.
As you arrive at the edge of the clearing,
You pause to take it all in.
This welcoming space is covered in a couple inches of fresh white snow surrounding the swing resting in the middle of the clearing.
The sun shines in brightly and has melted the snow off the swing seat.
The last tiny bit slowly drips at one edge of the planks of the seat,
Leaving indentations in the snow below.
There are small tufts of grasses peeking out nearest where the frame of the swing touches the ground,
Reaching tall towards the light of the sun.
As you begin to make your own fresh path across the clearing towards the familiar swing,
Your boots crunch the snow underneath with each step you take,
Leaving behind prints from the soles of your boots.
As you hear the crunch,
You know that this snow would be perfect for a snowperson or a snowball.
Your boot prints,
However,
Are not alone in creating designs in the snow.
There are also little dotted paths zigzagging across the clearing.
As you meet one of these paths,
You look closer and see the little paw prints of a squirrel printed in the snow.
They too were enjoying the most lovely weather of the day.
A few more steps and you arrive at the swing.
Hello,
Old friend.
You pull the warm blanket out from your backpack that you reserved for just these occasions and begin to snuggle up on the bench seat of the swing.
It sways just a touch as you climb on,
Creating a tiny moment of playfulness as a smile finds the corner of your lips.
You and the swing slowly settle into stillness.
Over the years,
The swing has supported so many who craved a time of rest that it seems to know how to instantly hug you like a glove when you settle up on it.
All cozied up with your warm plush blanket,
Snuggled in a just right position,
You take a deep breath of the fresh,
Crisp winter air.
Close your eyes and feel the sun on your face again.
As you exhale,
You let out a slow sigh,
Your bones settling even further into the swing.
You take this time to invite your body to rest deeply.
You unfurrow your brow and part your back teeth just a touch.
The muscles of your face accept this invitation and begin to soften.
You release your shoulders,
Allowing them to drop away from your ears,
And the muscles in your neck find space.
The muscles of your chest and your belly follow this lead and begin to soften and melt into your back body.
Your breath now flows with a touch more ease,
Trusting the swing that supports you.
You surrender into the comfort of this familiar seat that holds you.
Granting yourself permission to just be in this moment.
Your legs,
Feet,
Arms,
And hands naturally let go and rest deeply where they have landed.
Your entire body is quiet and present.
Your attention now follows your breath,
Noticing the cool air as it enters your nose.
Following it through your throat,
Feeling it gently expand your chest and belly.
You follow the now warmed breath.
As it exits with an exhale,
Your belly and chest softens.
A short,
Warm sensation moves through your throat,
And the breath leaves your nostrils warming the space just below your nose.
In and out.
In and out.
Each breath nourishes you with peace.
Each breath nourishes you with comfort.
Each breath nourishes you with love.
You begin to expand your attention beyond your breath.
Notice the sweet scents of the forest flowing by on a gentle breeze.
Filling your nose with its fragrance as you breathe this fresh air.
The trees,
The moss on the fallen logs,
The crispness of the air from the chilly temperatures,
All combine to create a comforting perfume.
You gently gaze around,
Taking in the beauty of this sacred space in the forest.
You notice the sunlight dancing on the snow covering the ground in the clearing.
Each snowflake twinkling and shimmering,
Appearing like a thousand stars dancing.
As you look further out,
Your vision finds the edge of the forest.
The strong,
Sturdy trunks of the trees each stand in their perfect spot.
A lovely variety of bare branches and evergreen trees create the safe perimeter of where you sit.
The fir and spruce trees create a sea of greens with their needles.
Small patches of snow still lay on some of their branches,
Making those limbs hang a little heavier under the weight,
Giving the forest a sleepier feeling.
Amongst the evergreens,
Maple and birch trees create webs with their tangled bare branches resting and waiting for spring.
They create such different scenery as the seasons change from visit to visit in the clearing.
Today,
You can see right through the patches of branches,
And the sun can find you with little effort,
Keeping you comfortable and warm.
A few old trees that have fallen lay across the earth.
Some parts of these logs are covered by the snow,
And some parts of the logs are peeking through.
The exposed logs are covered with a bright green moss,
Almost fluorescent in the midday light.
It looks soft and squishy.
Perhaps small animals use this moss in their dens and nests,
Providing a sweet place of rest for them too.
Taking a moment to scan upwards,
You notice the different heights of the trees,
Allowing your eyes to enjoy the varying hues of color and all the intricate details each tree possesses.
Every branch seems to tell a bit more of the tree's story.
Some branches seem to take quick turns to twist in a new direction,
While others split several times,
Allowing each new branch to go on its own way.
Just off to the right of you,
A little brown squirrel playfully leaps from one branch to another,
Before scurrying down a tree and off out of sight.
You can still hear the chatter of the squirrel as it meets up with its family.
This awareness invites you to begin to take in the soundtrack of all the forest.
Off in the distance,
Crows call out to each other.
A call and response,
Call and response.
A sharing of secrets from the tops of the trees.
In the forest between the crows and the clearing where you sit,
The songs of chickadees,
Blue jays,
And other small birds bring a sweet melody to the forest.
The chickadees call their own name with their chickadee,
Dee,
Dee song.
Other birds join the chorus with whistles in different tunes,
Sweet chips,
And tweets.
And even though they are shy,
And you rarely spy them while visiting the clearing,
You can once in a while hear the distinct song of a cardinal.
They all have so much to beautifully share on this sunny day.
What a wonderful place to be still,
To take time to nourish your soul with the sights,
Smells,
And sounds of nature.
A place to simply be,
Allowing your attention to follow your breath as you exhale.
You feel all of your muscles soften just a touch more into the swing.
You feel your entire body relaxed,
And a calm sense of peace filling every cell.
You take a moment now in silence so that your mind may remember this feeling of calm in your body.
You take a moment now in silence so that your mind may remember the gentle rhythm of your breath.
You take a moment now in silence so that your mind may remember the peace in your soul.
What a wonderful and sacred place this clearing is.
A true gift from nature.
As you sit on your swing with this renewed sense of presence filling your body,
Mind,
And soul,
You know it is time to begin to make your way back to the path.
Gently remove your cozy blanket that is warm from the sun,
Fold it up,
And place it in your backpack so it is ready for your next visit.
The movements your body makes are slow,
Intentional,
Allowing the transition of leaving the clearing to be mindful.
Just before you stand,
You give the swing a couple loving taps with your mittened hand,
Showing gratitude for its presence.
You begin retracing your steps through the clearing,
Stepping in the boot prints you made a short time ago.
Pausing for one last moment at the beginning of the trail,
You offer a quiet thank you to nature for its support and nourishing friendship today.
You reach into your pocket and remove a small bag of seed.
Finding an old stump nearby,
Covered in the green moss,
You empty the seed in a tiny pile,
A small token of gratitude to the forest animals and their beautiful concert.
A smile finds its way to your face as you make your way along the path out,
Each step landing with ease.
As we begin to leave the imagery of the clearing behind,
We may wish to bring our attention to our physical bodies in this space where you joined this meditation from.
You may first just notice your body in your chair,
Or perhaps the temperature of the room,
Taking it nice and slow.
You may wish to invite some really deep breaths,
And let a big sigh or two out.
Your body may be calling for movement,
So please feel free to take those movements now.
It may be a small wiggling of your fingers or circling your wrists or ankles.
It may be bigger with a stretch of your arms over your head,
Wiggling your torso side to side.
Whatever seems right to you in this moment,
Go ahead and grant yourself permission to do that.
When you're ready,
We will all meet in an upright and seated position.
And to close,
I invite you to bring your hands to your heart space by either placing your hands on your heart or bringing your palms together in the universal prayer position,
Whichever is most comfortable for you.
Let's take a full deep breath in together,
And a long exhale out.
May we be healthy and safe,
And may we always remember the love that surrounds us.
With much love and gratitude for you sharing your practice today,
I offer you a thank you.
